Wilderness.org - House Natural Resources Committeehttp://wilderness.org/tags/house-natural-resources-committee
enA tale of two hearings for the Arctic National Wildlife Refugehttp://wilderness.org/blog/tale-two-hearings-arctic-national-wildlife-refuge
<div class="field-group-format group_meta field-group-div group-meta speed-fast effect-none"><div class="field field-name-post-date field-type-ds field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Sep 27, 2011</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-node-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/bios/staff/neil-shader">Neil Shader</a></div></div></div></div><div class="field-group-format group_image field-group-div group-image speed-fast effect-none"><div class="field field-name-field-video field-type-file field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <p>New day, new made-up reasons to drill in Washington, and an unprecedented turnout of Arctic Refuge wilderness supporters in Anchorage</p>
<p>written by Neil Shader in Washington DC and Tim Woody in Anchorage</p>
<p>It seems that Big Oil and their Congressional allies are relentless. When it comes to drilling in the Arctic Refuge, there is never a crisis for which drilling isn&rsquo;t the answer. High oil prices? <a href="/node/1140">Drill the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge</a>. Too few jobs in America? Drill the Arctic Refuge. The latest &ndash; what can we do to reduce the deficit? &ndash; has the same answer &ndash; &ldquo;drill ANWR&rdquo;.</p>
<p>The House Natural Resources Committee held a hearing on Sept. 21 to discuss opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas drilling, and using the revenue to pay down the federal deficit. As with many of these hearings, there was heated rhetoric from both sides. While drilling promoters trotted out questionable jobs statistics, defenders of the Arctic Refuge <a href="http://www.lcv.org/assets/anwr-jobs-energy-and.html" target="_blank">quickly pointed out flaws in the arguments</a> &ndash; many of them stemming from inflated numbers in an oil-industry produced jobs report.</p>
<p>(For more on myths from the oil industry, check our <a href="/node/2012">True Grit series</a>.)</p>
<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not creative. It&rsquo;s not new,&rdquo; said Gene Karpinski of the League of Conservation Voters of the idea to drill in the Arctic Refuge. Karpinski and<a href="http://conservamerica.org/Arctic_Refuge_Testimony.pdf" target="_blank"> David Jenkins of Republicans for Environmental Protection</a> defended the Arctic Refuge from the pro-drilling witnesses, including the Alaska congressional delegation, noting that the sky-high estimates of available oil and job creation potential were suspect at best, and would have devastating impacts on the Arctic Refuge.</p>
<p>But while members of Congress argued in Washington, another hearing was taking place across the country, showing how much support the Arctic Refuge has in Alaska.</p>
<p>In Anchorage, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service hosted a public hearing on the Arctic Refuge&rsquo;s draft revised <a href="/node/1222">Comprehensive Conservation Plan</a>, and <a href="http://www.adn.com/2011/09/21/2081687/public-weighs-in-on-future-of.html" target="_blank">people who spoke in favor of wilderness protection</a> for the Coastal Plain and other parts of the refuge outnumbered the pro-drilling crowd by a margin of 2 to 1.</p>
<p>Many Gwich&rsquo;in tribal members attended, and a wide array of citizens spoke passionately about their love for the refuge and the importance of preserving it in pristine condition for future generations. Instead of pleas for short-term gains in oil revenue and jobs, the majority of Alaskans at the hearing called for responsible stewardship of wildlife, the preservation of a unique and irreplaceable landscape, and protections for Native culture and subsistence ways of life.</p>
<p>The message from Alaskans was clear: <a href="http://wilderness.org/files/Arctic-Refuge-Wildlife.pdf" target="_blank">The Arctic Refuge is too special to sacrifice for oil</a>.</p>
<p>The question is, will anyone in Washington listen?</p>
</div></div></div>Tue, 27 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0000Liu Zhejun1332 at http://wilderness.orghttp://wilderness.org/blog/tale-two-hearings-arctic-national-wildlife-refuge#commentsTestimony Before Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee On The Real Renewable Energy Roadblockshttp://wilderness.org/resource/testimony-energy-and-mineral-resources-subcommittee-real-renewable-energy-roadblocks
<div class="field-group-format group_meta field-group-div group-meta speed-fast effect-none"><div class="field field-name-field-publication-date field-type-datetime field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single" property="dc:date" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2011-06-25T00:00:00-04:00">Saturday, June 25, 2011</span></div></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <p>Testimony of Chase Huntley, Director of Renewable Energy Policy.<br />Presented to the Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee,&nbsp; U.S. House of Representatives On &ldquo;Legislative Hearing on H.R. 2170, H.R. 2171, H.R. 2172, and H.R. 2173&rdquo;</p>
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<tr class="odd"><td><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="http://wilderness.org/sites/default/files/Huntley-TWS-testimony-06232011.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=80221">Huntley-TWS-testimony-06232011.pdf</a></span></td><td>78.34 KB</td> </tr>
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</div></div></div>Sat, 25 Jun 2011 04:00:00 +0000Liu Zhejun1749 at http://wilderness.orghttp://wilderness.org/resource/testimony-energy-and-mineral-resources-subcommittee-real-renewable-energy-roadblocks#commentsStatement to the House Natural Resources Committee on wind and solar developmenthttp://wilderness.org/resource/statement-house-natural-resources-committee-wind-and-solar-development
<div class="field-group-format group_meta field-group-div group-meta speed-fast effect-none"><div class="field field-name-field-publication-date field-type-datetime field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single" property="dc:date" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2011-05-26T00:00:00-04:00">Thursday, May 26, 2011</span></div></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <p>Read the Joint Statement from The Wilderness Society, Natural Resources Defense Council and Defenders of Wildlife on the two-part House Natural Resources Committee Hearing on &ldquo;roadblocks&quot; to wind and solar development on public lands by clicking on the link below.</p>
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<tr class="odd"><td><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="http://wilderness.org/sites/default/files/May-13-Statement-HNRC-Renewable-Hearing.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=245818">May-13-Statement-HNRC-Renewable-Hearing.pdf</a></span></td><td>240.06 KB</td> </tr>
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</div></div></div>Thu, 26 May 2011 04:00:00 +0000Liu Zhejun1759 at http://wilderness.orghttp://wilderness.org/resource/statement-house-natural-resources-committee-wind-and-solar-development#commentsWilderness Society President Submits Letter to Congressional Record in Support of Secretarial Orderhttp://wilderness.org/resource/wilderness-society-president-submits-letter-congressional-record-support-secretarial-order
<div class="field-group-format group_meta field-group-div group-meta speed-fast effect-none"><div class="field field-name-field-publication-date field-type-datetime field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single" property="dc:date" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2011-03-01T00:00:00-05:00">Tuesday, March 1, 2011</span></div></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <p>In a letter to Doc Hastings, Chairman of House Committee on Natural Resources and Edward Markey, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Natural Resources, The Wilderness Society President William H. Meadows sent words of support for Secretarial Order #330 announced in late December 2010.</p>
<p>His letter states:</p>
<p>&quot;On behalf of The Wilderness Society I am writing to express our strong support for the Bureau of Land Management&rsquo;s new Wild Lands policy, as set forth in Secretarial Order #3310 issued by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar on December 22, 2010. The Wilderness Society&#39;s mission is to protect wilderness and inspire Americans to care for our wild places; and this Order, like our mission, is an important tool for safeguarding our national treasure of wild lands.</p>
<p>Secretarial Order #3310 reverses the flawed policy adopted by former Secretary Norton and the state of Utah to vitiate the BLM&rsquo;s responsibility to inventory, designate and protect millions of acres of public lands that harbor wilderness characteristics. In issuing the new policy, Secretary Salazar recognized the Department of Interior&rsquo;s legal obligation under Section 102(a)(8) of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA)...&quot;</p>
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<tr class="odd"><td><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="" title="application/pdf" src="/modules/file/icons/application-pdf.png" /> <a href="http://wilderness.org/sites/default/files/Meadows%20Wild%20Lands%20policy%20letter%20to%20HNRC%20030111.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=161884">Meadows Wild Lands policy letter to HNRC 030111.pdf</a></span></td><td>158.09 KB</td> </tr>
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</div></div></div>Tue, 01 Mar 2011 05:00:00 +0000Mary Price1736 at http://wilderness.orghttp://wilderness.org/resource/wilderness-society-president-submits-letter-congressional-record-support-secretarial-order#commentsHearing Denies Wild Lands Policy Supporters Chance to Voice Opinionhttp://wilderness.org/press-release/hearing-denies-wild-lands-policy-supporters-chance-voice-opinion
<div class="field-group-format group_meta field-group-div group-meta speed-fast effect-none"><div class="field field-name-field-release-date field-type-datetime field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single" property="dc:date" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2011-03-01T00:00:00-05:00">Mar 1, 2011</span></div></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <h3>
<em>Wilderness Society Submits Statement for Congressional Record</em></h3>
<p>
Despite growing support for a recent <a href="http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/info/newsroom/2010/december/NR_12_23_2010.html" target="_blank">Secretarial Order</a> that restored guidance for protecting some of America&rsquo;s most treasured western lands, the level of this support unfortunately was not reflected in the limited number of witness slots allotted to supporters at today&rsquo;s House Natural Resources <a href="http://naturalresources.house.gov/Calendar/EventSingle.aspx?EventID=226023" target="_blank">Committee hearing</a> on Secretary Salazar&rsquo;s Wild Lands policy. Groups like <a href="http://wilderness.org/">The Wilderness Society</a>, as well as organizations representing businesses, outfitters and guides, sportsmen&rsquo;s organizations, and local elected officials, have expressed their support for the new policy via letters to both Secretary Salazar and the House Natural Resources Committee.</p>
<p>
National Parks, Forests and Public Lands Subcommittee Chairman Rob Bishop said in a statement that the hearing was requested due to&nbsp;&ldquo;so many unanswered questions surrounding the creation of the new Wild Lands designation.&rdquo; Yet several westerners who support the new policy were unfortunately denied the opportunity to talk through those questions with the committee.</p>
<p>
<a href="http://wilderness.org/about-us/experts/bill-meadows">William H. Meadows</a>, President of the Wilderness Society, released the following statement:</p>
<p>
&ldquo;Part of the Congressional Record from today&rsquo;s hearing will now include a letter from The Wilderness Society showing our overwhelming support, on behalf of more than 500,000 members, for the leadership and management decisions for Wild Lands that Secretary Salazar has laid out. It is important that the committee recognize that an important responsibility of the Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Land Management is to identify and protect public lands harboring wild land values.&rdquo;</p>
<p>
&nbsp;</p>
<p>
In addition to the <a href="http://wilderness.org/content/wilderness-society-president-submits-letter-congressional-record-support-secretarial-order">support letter from The Wilderness Society</a>, you can also view letters from <a href="http://wilderness.org/content/elected-officials-7-western-states-sign-group-letter-thank-salazar-wild-lands-policy">elected officials</a> across the west (including <a href="http://wilderness.org/content/70-colorado-elected-officials-send-letter-support-wild-lands-policy-interior-secretary-ken-s">73 from Colorado alone</a>&nbsp;and <a href="http://wilderness.org/content/elected-officials-california-send-wild-lands-policy-support-letter-salazar">another 20&nbsp;from California</a>), members of the <a href="http://wilderness.org/content/members-national-association-counties-take-issue-letter-criticizing-salazar-wild-lands-polic">National Association of Counties</a>, <a href="http://wilderness.org/content/outfitters-submit-wild-lands-support-letter-house-and-senate-leaders">outfitters</a> who make a living from supplying goods to the outdoor community, and others, by viewing the <a href="http://wilderness.org/content/reality-check-protecting-americas-wild-lands">&ldquo;related content&rdquo; here</a>.&nbsp; You can also listen to a <a href="http://wilderness.org/content/western-voices-call-support-interior-secretary-wild-lands-policy">recent tele-press conference </a>where participants discussed the economic benefits of our public lands as well as the religious community&rsquo;s spiritual connection to our wildest places.</p>
<p>
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</div></div></div>Tue, 01 Mar 2011 22:58:43 +0000104453 at http://wilderness.orghttp://wilderness.org/press-release/hearing-denies-wild-lands-policy-supporters-chance-voice-opinion#comments